Soya bean Vadai

Today’s recipe is a snack made from soya beans – a crunchy soya bean vadai.

Soya bean Vadai

Time taken: 15 – 20 mins (using pre-cooked soya beans)

Makes 6 or 7

Ingredients:

Soya beans – ½ cup, boiled
All-purpose flour – ½ cup
Onion – ½, chopped
Crushed chillies – 2 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig, chopped
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl to prepare the ‘vadai’ dough. Divide the dough into small balls, around 6 or 7. Flatten each slightly.
Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil is ready for frying, drop the ‘vadai’ in batches into the heated oil and deep fry them until they are golden brown on both sides.
Serve warm with some Sri Lankan tea.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Soya bean curry

Today’s soya bean recipe is a nice soya bean curry that I like.

Soya bean curry

Time taken: 20 mins (with pre-cooked soya beans)

Serves 3

Ingredients:

Soya beans – ½ cup, boiled
Tomato – 1
Onion – ½
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Curry powder – 1 tsp
Rampe/ Pandan leaf – piece
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil – 1 tsp

Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and sauté the fennel and fenugreek seeds, chopped onion and curry leaves for a couple of mins.
Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Stir and add ½ cup of water.
Add the curry powder, rampe leaf and salt, to taste and cook for about 5 mins.
Mix in the cooked soya beans and cook for another 10 mins.
Serve with rice or pittu or bread.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Soya bean Crumble

While soya bean is not so commonly cooked at home, we had some leftover soya beans from one of my cooking experiments. My mother therefore decided to cook up a few soya bean dishes over the week.

So, the key ingredient of the recipes on this blog for the next few days will be soya beans.

Soya bean Crumble

Time taken: 45 mins + soaking time (overnight)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Soyabeans – ½ cup
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Red chilli – 1
Green chilli – 1
Onion – ½
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Scraped coconut – 1 tbsp
Low fat oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Soak the soya beans overnight and then rinse and cook the beans with water for 30 mins.
Drain and grind the cooked soya beans in a blender for about 2 mins.
Transfer the ground soya beans to a mixing bowl and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt, to taste. Mix well and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and lightly fry the chopped onion, chillies, curry leaves and fennel seeds for a minute.
Add the seasoned, ground soya bean mixture to the pan and stir fry for about 5 – 10 mins.
Add the scraped coconut. Mix well and cook for about 2 mins.
Serve the soya bean crumble with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Cabbage fry

Cabbage fry

Time taken: 20 mins

Serves 3 or 4

Ingredients:

Cabbage – 1 cup
Scraped coconut – 2 tbsp
Onion – ½
Red chilli – 1
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Crushed chilli – ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Finely chop the cabbage.
Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan and lightly sauté the fennel seeds, chopped onion, red chilli and curry leaves for 1 to 2 mins.
Add some salt to the pan.
Mix in the chopped cabbage. Add another tsp oil if required and cook for about 10 to 15 mins.
Towards the end, add the freshly scraped coconut, the turmeric and crushed chilli. Mix well before removing from stove.
Serve warm with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Spicy Ash Plantain Curry

Ash plantain (Saambal Vaalai, as it is called in Tamil) is often used in Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine. I am not very familiar with the varieties of plantains but as far as I am aware, ash plantain is the more common and popular variety in Sri Lanka and is a cooking plantain.

Today’s recipe is that of an ash plantain curry that my mother quite often makes at home.

Spicy Ash plantain Curry

Time taken: 25 mins

Serves 3

Ingredients:

Ash plantain – 2
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Onion – ½
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Tamarind extract – ½ cup
Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
Curry powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt, to taste
Sugar – 1 tsp
Low fat oil – 1 tbsp + more, for light frying

Method:

Peel the ash plantains and slice them.
Lightly fry the ash plantain slices in a little oil. Keep aside.
In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the fenugreek seeds, chopped onion and curry leaves for a minute.
Add the lightly fried ash plantain slices to the pan. Mix well and continue stir-frying for another 2 – 3 mins.
Then, add the tamarind extract to the pan, followed by the thin coconut milk and the curry powder.
Season the curry with salt to taste. Mix well and cook the curry for about 10 mins till the gravy thickens.
Just before removing the pan from stove, add a tsp of sugar and mix well.
Serve the spicy ash plantain curry with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vegan Eggs

As I have often mentioned on this blog before, my mother enjoys being creative and experimental in her cooking. When she gets into that mode, she starts whipping up several dishes in succession. This weekend, we have been treated to a number of new dishes at home.

Today’s dish is a special treat and ideal for a weekend breakfast treat.

Vegan eggs

Time taken: 30 mins

Makes 4

Ingredients:

Rice flour – ½ cup, roasted or Wheat flour – ¾ cup, steamed
Semolina – ¼ cup, roasted
Onion – ½, chopped
Green chilli – 1, chopped
Carrot – 1 tbsp, grated
Walnuts – 1 tbsp, chopped
Vegetable oil margarine – 2 tbsp
Kesari powder or saffron – pinch
Salt, to taste
Pepper – pinch

Method:

Mix the flour with salt and pepper and hot water to make a dough. Divide the dough into 4 balls. Keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp margarine in a pan and lightly fry the chopped walnuts, onion, chilli and grated carrot for about 2 mins.
Add ½ cup of water to the pan as well as salt, pepper and a pinch of kesari powder.
As the water starts bubbling, add the semolina to the pan and stir it till it thickens and the chopped onion and walnuts have mixed well with the semolina. Make 4 balls from the semolina mixture.
Roll out the rice flour dough balls into an oval disk.
Place the semolina mixture balls at the center and close the edges, shaping it like an egg with the semolina mixture at its center.
Steam the vegan eggs for about 5 – 10 mins.
After cooling, slice the eggs into halves and serve with sliced onion, tomato and sauce.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Ash plantain and Carrot with Beetroot Sauce

Today is the Virtual Vegan Potluck! I had come across this post recently, and as one who generally enjoys potlucks, decided to join a virtual one after a quick chat with my mother who has contributed more than 90% of the recipes on this blog to-date. So today’s recipe is an ash plantain and carrot with beetroot sauce recipe that my mother concocted, given that I had mentioned beets was the featured ingredient.

Ash Plantain and Carrot with Beetroot Sauce

Time taken: 35 – 40 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Ash plantain – 1
Beetroot – 1
Carrot – 1
Ginger – 1 tsp, chopped
Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves, chopped
Green chilli – 1, chopped
Onion – ¼, chopped
Sesame/ Gingelly oil – 1 tsp + 1 tbsp
Salt, to taste

Method:

Wash the three vegetables, without peeling them.
Boil the ash plantain and beetroot for about 15 mins.
After boiling, peel the ash plantain and beetroot separately.
If you prefer the carrot to be boiled or steamed, you will need to do so separately. Else, simply peel the cleaned, fresh carrot and slice thinly and arrange in a serving dish.
Slice the boiled and peeled ash plantain and layer the slices around the carrot in the serving dish. Sprinkle with salt.
Peel the beetroot and chop it up.
Heat a tsp oil and fry the chopped ginger, garlic, chilli and onion lightly.
Transfer the lightly fried ingredients to the blender together with the chopped beetroot and salt, to taste, and blend to a puree/ sauce.
Stir in a tbsp of sesame oil after blending.
Pour the sauce over the dish with the ash plantain and carrot slices.
Garnish with thin slices of chilli and serve.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

For accessing the other blogs participating in the Virtual Vegan Potluck, press the ‘go back’ or ‘go forward’ buttons below.

Peace.Love.Quinoa: Apple Parsnip Mash

This is Thirty: Sautéed Beet Greens and Kale

Chickpea Cutlet

Chickpea cutlet

Time taken: 1 hour + soaking time for chickpeas (if not using canned)

Makes 4

Ingredients:

Chickpeas – ½ cup, ground
Onion – ½, chopped
Green chilli – 1, chopped
Pepper – 1 tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Coriander leaves – few, chopped
Wheat flour – ¼ cup
Bread crumbs
Low fat oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Cook the chickpeas (if not using canned) for at least 30 mins and then grind it.
Take ½ cup of the ground chickpeas in a mixing bowl and add the chopped onions and chilli.
Season with salt and pepper and toss the coriander leaves into the mix.
Toss the chickpeas mixture together and then divide into 4 balls.
Prepare a batter by mixing the wheat flour with a little water.
Coat the 4 cutlet balls in the batter and then roll them in the bread crumbs.
Deep-fry the cutlets in low-fat oil over medium heat.
Transfer the cutlets to a plate lined with grease absorbing paper, before serving.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Butternut squash and Green Peas Curry

Today’s recipe is one of my mother’s simple and delicious pumpkin recipes. The butternut squash is called the ‘Dubai pumpkin’ for some reason in the markets of Colombo.

Butternut squash and green peas curry

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves 3

Ingredients:

Butternut squash or regular pumpkin – ½ cup
Green peas – ¼ cup
Onion – ½
Green chilli – 1
Ginger – 1”
Garlic – 3 or 4 cloves
Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
Salt, to taste
Pepper – 1 tsp
Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Peel the butternut squash and chop it up into smaller chunks.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan and fry the chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and onion for a min or two.
Add the chopped butternut squash and green peas to the pan and stir fry for a few mins.
Add the coconut milk to the pan, as well as salt to taste, and cook for about 10 mins.
Add the pepper, when the milk is about to dry up, and remove the pan from stove.
Garnish with coriander leaves, chopped onion and tomato and serve warm with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Spicy Carrot Curry

I was a finicky eater growing up – and one of the vegetables that I couldn’t stand for many years was carrots, particularly steamed carrots, which happened to be my mother’s favourite. Until one day, surprisingly, I started liking them. I now particularly like the smell of fresh carrots.

Today’s recipe is that of my mother’s spicy carrot curry.

Spicy Carrot Curry

Time taken: 20 – 25 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Carrots – 2, medium
Onion – ½
Ginger – a small piece
Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves
Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Green chilli – 1
Thin coconut milk – ¾ cup
Curry powder – 1 tsp
Salt, to taste
Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Clean the carrots, peel and chop them.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over low heat and fry the fenugreek seeds and chopped ginger, garlic and onion for a min.
Then, add the chopped carrots, curry leaves and chopped green chilli and continue frying for another 5 – 7 mins. Add a little oil if the carrots or onions start burning.
Add the coconut milk to the pan, together with the curry powder.
Cook for about 10 mins over medium heat. Add salt, to taste.
Garnish with coriander and serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.